Dimi Mitov said he must continue to build on his recent performances after keeping his first clean sheet since returning to the starting XI.

The 22-year-old shot-stopper turned in a fine performance against Port Vale, making several crucial saves throughout as United claimed their fourth victory in five games to ease any relegation fears.

And Mitov believes that he is starting to hit stride after a run of three games, having not started in the league since August before them.

“As a keeper, especially when you haven’t played in a while, when you get back in the team I think you need a little bit more time,” he said.

“It’s so different to training in match days. I just needed a little bit more time and I just need to back up what I did [against Port Vale].

“You don’t get a chance like the outfield players to come on for ten or 15 minutes to make an impact.

“As a goalkeeper, you just have to wait for your chance and when it comes you have to make sure you grab it with both hands.”

Two of Mitov’s saves in particular stood out. The first to deny Tom Pope from close-range within the first ten minutes of the game before reading play well to smother the ball as Nathan Smith was clear through five minutes from full time.

“Sometimes you just have to react to the ball and back yourself and set yourself and say you have to beat me,” Mitov said when asked about the save from Pope.

“I just stood up and luckily I saved it.”

On denying Smith late on, he added: “Obviously I saw the long ball so I nicked a few yards.

“I thought if someone nicks it or someone heads it before our defenders, I’ll be there for the second ball and that’s what happend.”

It remains to be seen whether Mitov will start against Tranmere at the weekend, with David Forde back in training after a shoulder injury.

If Colin Calderwood opts for Forde, it means Mitov will drop to the bench in place of Kevin Pilkington.

Regardless of what happens, though, Mitov praised the influence of the duo.

“Both of them had unbelievably careers,” he said.

“Fordey is still going, it’s so good to train with him every single day and learn from him every single day.

“Fordey is just making me better and I’m really grateful for both of them.”

Mitov was humble after the game and refused to take credit for the three points after a stellar display, instead congratulating his teammates for another win at the Abbey.

“At the end of the day football is a collective, it’s not just one man that stands out. Even the boys that come on, I thought they did brilliant and that’s what we are: a team,” he said.

“I think we’re a really good team and have a really good structure to go forward.”

He continued: “That’s [the three points] it, that’s the main thing.

“(We want) three points next week again, that’s the aim for every game. We come out to win, it doesn’t matter who it is, we have to come out and try and win the game.”